The government rules out a U-turn on customs after a House of Lords defeat on its Brexit bill.

Select Committee
Parliament

"Do you know whethere or not any GSR data used by Vote Leave," asks Labour's Jo Stevens.

"I don't know, but I don't know why they would."

"We only gave them data for people who reported their location as the United States," Dr Kogan explains.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Foreign Office Minister Harriett Baldwin says the government is "deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Yemen".

In all, 17.8m people in Yemen do not have access to food, she says. The government is providing enough food for 5m people in Yemen and clean water and sanitation for 1.2m Yemenis.

"The UK has led the way" in lobbying and advising all parties to prevent "further deterioration of the crisis", she adds.

A political settlement is the only way to ensure an end to the humanitarian crisis, she finishes.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Reuters

With the conclusion of Justice questions, the Commons moves to the first of their two urgent questions today. It's on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, tabled by Labour's Stephen Twigg, who is the Chair of the International Development Committee.

The United Nations has now said that the Yemen crisis is the "world's worst humantarian crisis" with more than 22m people, three quarters of the population, in urgent need of aid.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has called for the halting of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, who are leading the current bombing campaign in Yemen.

Select Committee
Parliament

Damian Collins asks about Aleksandr Kogan's work at the University of St Petersburg.

Dr Kogan explains that he was invited to do some talks, following a visit to Russia.

"We had maybe one or two meetings where I gave them a bit of advice," he says.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative John Lamont asks what steps are being taken to make sure the UK legal system continues to operate effectively after the UK leaves the EU.

Justice Minister Lucy Frazer says the UK has agreed an implementation period which will provide certainty to people and businesses. The deal will ensure "mutual enforcement" of legal judgements, she says.

Mr Lamont says Brexit is the most significant challenge to UK and Scottish legal system, and he asks her to ensure her department is working to prevent "legal confusion and chaos".

Ms Frazer says: "Scotland has a distinct legal system which should be respected" and says that it is important that the department engages with devolved administrations to ensure the "UK gets the best deal".

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Paul Farrelly asks Dr Kogan why he would not want to know who the "ultimate client" was, in the work that he has been doing.

"I knew it was for Republicans, that's true.. I don't know the specific candidates in most primaries in the United States."

Mr Farrelly asks whether he "didn't care".

"My general perception... is that most folks are trying to do what's right."

"I can understand were they're coming from, even if personally I would not agree with that position," Dr Kogan replies, explaining his view on politicians.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The SNP's Carol Monaghan asks what recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of community sentences on reducing reoffending rates.

Justice Minister Rory Stewart says this is something the department looked at "closely" in a 2015 report. He says the report conclusively found that community sentences, rather than custodial sentences, reduced reoffending rates over a one year period.

Ms Monaghan says that in Scotland they now have an "eighteen year low in terms of reoffending" due to restorative justice and community sentences. She asks if the UK government is looking at the Scottish government's example.

Mr Stewart says "we have a lot to learn from Scotland specifically on that issue", and he says the department will be looking at what they can do in order to encourage custodial sentences as a "last resort".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

First question today comes from Labour's Mohammad Yasin, who wants to know what assessment the department has made of the effect of court closures on access to justice.

Justice Minister Lucy Frazer says the government is looking at "ways to modernise the delivery of justice...including with new technology". She says it is "right" that the government looks at spending in justice not just on the physical estate.

Mr Yasin says Bedford has lost its magistrates and employment tribunals court, people have "to travel 30 miles to access justice".

Ms Frazer says the landlord didn't extend the lease in Bedford which led to the closure of the tribunal court. There will be a continuation of hearing civil cases at Bedford Magistrates, which will not close until an alternative is found, she adds.

Select Committee
Parliament

SNP MP Brendan O'Hara asks Dr Kogan whether any of his data was sold to Christopher Wylie.

Mr Wylie is a former employee of Cambridge Analytica, who claims the firm used the personal data of Facebook users improperly.

"We did, but it was not for a monetary exchange."

"The agreement there was we would give them our data set in exchange for the data sets he purported to have. He did not honour that agreement."

Dr Kogan says that legal moves were taken in March 2015 to cancel the contract.

House of Commons
Parliament

At 11:30am today, the Commons kicks off with Justice questions. This'll be followed by an urgent question on Yemen and one on Capita, which reported losses of £500m yesterday.

At around 2pm, there'll be a statement on GKN, which was sold to Melrose for £8bn at the end of March.

The main legislation up for debate today are the remaining stages of the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, external.

Then, later on, there'll be a money resolution on the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, external.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour's Chris Matheson asks when an app is being sold to a company such as SCL, Cambridge Analytica's parent company, how much the cost would be to them.

Aleksandr Kogan replies that the app itself is not very expensive - "you could write this app in three or four days".

"What is valuable is the data that comes in," he says, adding that the aim was to recruit about 200,000 people to authorise the app.

He says SCL initially spent around $600,000-800,000 paying users $3-4 each to complete the quiz.

His company was subsequently paid £230,000 for compiling personality "predictions" using the data, he says.

Select Committee
Parliament

"They gave me the data set without any agreement signed," says Dr Kogan, adding that a signed agreement came much later.

Mr Collins asks what the value to Facebook was of him doing this work.

"It makes their employees happy," he replies.

Damian Collins asks whether he thinks Facebook is "too open".

"Arguably so," says Aleksandr Kogan.

Image source, HoC

Select Committee
Parliament

"I think that Facebook have not been clear when they've discussed the way that data they hold is handled by outside clients", says Damian Collins.

Aleksandr Kogan agrees with Mr Collins, but adds that it is "well documented" that Facebook collaborates with researchers.

Select Committee
Parliament

Mr Collins asks Dr Kogan to explain what information Facebook provided him with.

He explained that some of the data received included how many friendships were made between members of different countries over a number of years.

The chair asks whether the data helped Dr Kogan "design other tools".

"It was useful from an academic perspective... it was really this macro perspective," he says, going on to say it would allow them to find out information like how much money was donated by people from different countries during natural disasters.

Chair Damian Collins opens up the evidence session by welcoming Dr Aleksandr Kogan.

He says there are "two or three areas of interest of the committee", including the understanding that Facebook had of the work he was carrying out.

Select Committee
Parliament

Damian Collins, external (Chair) Conservative

Julie Elliott, external Labour

Paul Farrelly, external Labour

Simon Hart, external Conservative

Julian Knight, external Conservative

Ian C. Lucas, external Labour

Christian Matheson, external Labour

Brendan O'Hara, external Scottish National Party

Rebecca Pow, external Conservative

Jo Stevens, external Labour

Giles Watling, external Conservative

BBC News

An academic who created an app that harvested data from 50m Facebook users says Cambridge Analytica and the social media firm have made him a "scapegoat".

Dr Aleksandr Kogan said he did not know his work for Cambridge Analytica in 2014 violated Facebook's policies.

Read more.

Image source, Getty Images